The present invention relates to a novel and improved locking assembly for positioning and holding a bearing on a journal of a shaft, such as a rolling mill roll, which assembly will be very simple in construction and not require separation of its parts or independent removal from the shaft when the bearing is to be removed from the shaft.
Locking assemblies for bearings have been used in the past, particularly in connection with rolls for rolling mills, and more particularly for the work rolls of the mills. Such work rolls require repeated removal from the mills for machine redressing of the worn rolling surfaces of the rolls, wherein some mills have a compliment of a very large number of such rolls. Prior to this redressing procedure, the locking assembly and bearing, with its associated chock, must be disassembled and upon completion of the procedure reassembled. In the past the locking assemblies, consisting of a number of separately assembled pieces, locking assemblies being used at the opposite ends of each roll, had to be disassembled in piece like fashion from the roll. In so doing, a workman was required to handle one or more very heavy cumbersome parts of the locking assembly, which operation had to be repeated during reassembling of the bearing.
The elements in the past that have made up the locking assemblies have been very heavy and cumbersome elements and hence very difficult for workman to lift and/or manipulate and moveover difficult in a safe manner to connect to a lifting mechanism, such as a crane. In addition, the past locking assemblies required the use of a two piece locking ring and auxiliary devices, such as locking or locating pins and locating tools which were required to assemble the two piece locking ring.
A more detail description of one form of past bearing locking assemblies appears in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,912,345 and 3,966,282, which relates to rolling mill rolls. The locking assembly disclosed in these two patents consists of two cam rings, identified as inner and outer rings, the inner ring engaging a sleeve of the bearing and the outer ring a collar of the roll. In one disclosed form, one ring is a solid--one piece construction, while the other cooperating ring is made of a two piece construction. The outer ring is provided with pairs of locating holes for receiving locking or locating pins. Also provided is a locating tool to hold the two parts of the inner ring in place during installation until the outer ring is positioned and after the locating pins have been inserted.